Page 8 - Voices! - october 2015

FROM THE DESK

Ready, Set, Grow!

By Erik Bergman, DTM, Club Growth Director

District 7 is on the verge of a growth spurt. Here’s the latest about clubs that
we soon hope to charter.

Club Northwest in Grants Pass is the first in our District to charter
this year! This club is a welcome addition to Division A because it helps
the Toastmasters program reach more people in Southern Oregon – and
that’s what it’s all about. Thanks and congratulations to Larry West, DTM, who
spearheaded this effort.

Through the work of Cleon Cox, DTM, and Mark Scholz, DTM, two — yes, two!
— new clubs are on the verge of chartering in downtown Portland. Both will meet at CBRE, a major real estate
company based in the Wells Fargo tower. Cleon is renowned for recruiting new members to Toastmasters as well as
helping to launch many clubs. (Raise your hand if you’re in Toastmasters because of him.) Division F is on the move!

Several other clubs that have yet to charter are already holding regular meetings as they build to 20 members, so we
expect the next month to be a busy one for chartering. Yet we are just getting started.

In his book “The Joy of Leadership,” Steve Chen, DTM, International Director for Region 9, gives advice on how and
where to look to start a new club. He says, “Encourage every member in your District to help start a new club. Ask
them to consider the following as venues for potential clubs:

• The place where they work • Their place of worship

• The town or neighborhood where they live • The professional or community organization they belong to

• The university or college they attended • The health or social club they enjoy”

I hope Steve’s words inspire you to brainstorm a new club opportunity near you. When inspiration strikes, send us
your idea. We are pursuing all the leads that members send to us. Ideally we want the name of the business or group,
the person to contact, and his or her phone number and email. Send us your lead, and we’ll follow up! Email cgd@
d7toastmasters.org.

The Rewards of Being a Club Coach

When Linda Leis, ACS, ALB, became a club coach to help earn her DTM, she was unsure what to
expect. She found it was an education beyond what she had imagined. Although her home club
is Wil-Sher Club in Sheridan and her job was Tigard, she chose to coach Beachtown Toastmasters
in Lincoln City. “I have learned more than I anticipated,” she says of her Toastmasters travels that
span from the Tualatin Valley to the Pacific Ocean.
With 37 years of management experience, she notes that members at different stages in life have different needs
and motivations. “We all know that a variety of people from different backgrounds who gather for a meeting brings
out the best in all of us,” she says. “The enjoyment is trying to figure out how to support our talent, encourage new
members and not be seen as a wet noodle.”
While many Beachtown members are retired,“At the coast there are also young professionals starting out that would
greatly benefit from our club, and how to encourage them to join is a challenge. I have seen so many people who
needed Toastmasters. Had they only joined a club, they would have succeeded far more than they did.”
For Linda and fellow coach Carolyn Smithrud, ACG, ALB, their mission is to help Beachtown become a Distinguished
club and help members in their reach their goals. She says, “To coach people to reach their potential and grow with
their club, what could be greater than that?”

8 Volume 2 Issue 4 - OCT 2015